build journal - '13 2ss/1le [COTW 8/15/16]

[h018871]

less than 4,000 miles and the throw out bearing started making noise................

i got a warrantied new slave and added the billet bearing support from Monster. thx Steve for the quick delivery, and next time the clutch will be yours.

i put another 3k on the car and no problems so far.......knock on wood

[h018871]

i know, it is a blasphemy to tow a trailer with a 5th Gen...........

it is my DD and i struggle getting what i want/need at the track into the car. ADD TO THAT i am not doing the interior any favors when i pack it with track tires and supplies.

i took a hidden hitch, made some modifications and now it does not hang down. all that is left is to make a cover to hide the small hole in the diffuser.

i plan to make a cover that plugs into the hitch............details to come

EDIT: i never made the cover, the hole is so low that it is virtually unnoticeable. more detail on the hitch is in post #113 (at the top of page 8)

[STONE SS]

Originally Posted by h018871

I noticed on sweeping curves during Auto-X that the inside tire would break loose with almost any amount of throttle. in a straight line, both tires would spin more or less equally. I've only seen the issue on long sweeping turns. I was running with the car in competition mode.

so...... I have previous experience with truetracs (from 4x4 days) and now reading tech on them indicates that they are nearly optimum in this type of situation. they have a very smooth application of torque to the slower turning wheel to help the car go faster through and when coming out of corners. I decided while adding the truetrac that I would add the LPW cover, primarily for the additional fluid capacity but also for the added strength to the bearing caps and improve the case rigidity. it turns out that GM only sells the factory bushings installed in the covers and cases. this means that I would need to get some aftermarket bushings. I went with the softest ones I could find, the BMR street version.
I don't think I really need them, but I decided to go with some stronger axles to remove any doubt. I picked up a set of the 1000hp versions from G-force when they were on sale.

I don't have the equipment to set up the gear on the carrier, so I took it to a rear end shop in Baytown.

it has made a HUGE difference in the way the car drives. the bushings are quite stiff. the trans is now very clunky between shifts. I've had to relearn how to drive the car "again". now it rarely clunks, but is very sensitive to trans temp. I can't beat on it until it gets just below 180F on the gauge.
as far as traction is concerned, it no longer spins the inside tire on long sweepers. the back end will kick out if too much throttle is applied. power is now getting applied to the pavement, it is up to me to be spot on with the go pedal.

I have noticed this also and have been contemplating going with the Eaton truetrac. Not sure if there are others on the market, but did you go with the Eaton diff? You happy with it in normal street driving conditions?

[h018871]

Originally Posted by STONE SS

I have noticed this also and have been contemplating going with the Eaton truetrac. Not sure if there are others on the market, but did you go with the Eaton diff? You happy with it in normal street driving conditions?

correct Stone
it is the Detroit/Eaton TrueTrac. street manners are great, it is transparent to me
REMEMBER to use non-synthetic lube and NO friction modifier.
i chose Lucas 85w/140

i read somewhere, but can't find it now (i think it was burried in the eaton site), that the only weakness of the truetrac is when coming out of a water box when doing a burnout. the tires are going fast and they do not gain traction at the same time. this causes the internal gears to load improperly and swiftly wear the case..............leading to it no longer biasing the less traction tire. i don't drag race so this is not an issue for me

[h018871]

there have been MANY discussions about the accuracy of the engine oil temp from the four pack gauges. in order to prove it to myself, and get better granularity at the temps the motor will run with at the track.............i went with an external direct read gauge. i mounted it temporarily on the side of the center console to get some comparisons at the track. the computed temps are "close" but it is hard to tell what the temp really is because of the scale on the 4 pack. i liked the secondary gauge so much i mounted in the glove box.
when at the track i have the glove box open. i use the 4 pack for every day to tell me if something is wrong...........i do open the glove box once in a while just to make sure all is good.

[h018871]

i had added a rear diff girdle some time back because i wanted to 1) increase the strength of the case while adding support to the carrier bearings & 2) added some fluid volume ~ 1pint

i was disappointed that GM does not sell the bushings separately, so i went with some "poly" type bushings.
i was not happy with the stiffer bushings right off. they transmitted quite a bit of noise, i could and did get used to that. however, they really made the car tough to shift and made the trans VERY clunky. a grind at almost all shifts.

when i was under the car a couple of weeks ago to change the diff oil and i noticed that the rear bushing was deformed.

i wish i would have thought of this when i first installed the girdle, but i didn't..............

i took the old cover and made 2 cuts 180 degrees apart, not all the way through so i would not damage the bushing and then used a chisel in one of the cuts to crack the aluminium and release the stock bushing. SOOOOO simple. then a simple job of pressing it into the girdle cover and now the car shifts much better.

better late than never i guess.............

[BaylorCamaro]

Originally Posted by h018871

there have been MANY discussions about the accuracy of the engine oil temp from the four pack gauges. in order to prove it to myself, and get better granularity at the temps the motor will run with at the track.............i went with an external direct read gauge. i mounted it temporarily on the side of the center console to get some comparisons at the track. the computed temps are "close" but it is hard to tell what the temp really is because of the scale on the 4 pack. i liked the secondary gauge so much i mounted in the glove box.
when at the track i have the glove box open. i use the 4 pack for every day to tell me if something is wrong...........i do open the glove box once in a while just to make sure all is good.

For that aftermarket gauge, where are you pulling the temp from?

[h018871]

hey Baylor,
i have it in the adapter for the oil cooler. there is a port for a sending unit.....it is the brass thing with the wire attached.

i can show you both the gauge and sender this Sunday at Grandsport

[h018871]

thx to X25 for his input on a cooler and install thread here
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=381050

i did the cooler upgrade at the same time as the new engine.

i went with a SEATRAB series 1, 60 row model with AN 10 lines with fire retardant sheathing

NOTE: i did end up cutting one of the heat exchanger mounting bosses off of the oil pan because it was pushing into one of the lines.

[h018871]

quite a while back i installed front footwell lights. after about a year most of the LEDs had burnt out. i called Phastek and asked about the possibility of replacement. they sent me new ones, no questions asked. cheers to them!

notice the side covers for the console
they have been bulging ever since i added the sound deadening insulation to the floor. they snap in and stay for a few days then pop out again. oh well, not a huge deal

[h018871]

i've always thought that the side marker lights were a bit overpowering on a dark car, so i broke down and got some painted and smoked ones (i wanted to keep a portion of them reflective for safety)

[h018871]

several of the Porsche guys that i track with have small trailers to haul tires and a few supplies/tools to the track. this is a great idea!
i picked up a 4x6 light duty utility trailer from my local TSC and made a few modifications.
3/4in plywood deck
tongue jack and spare
truck bed toolbox
rack for the tires
all lockable

i can carry 6 tires along with plenty of tools and supplies. it even has a place on two corners that i can set up a patio umbrella for shade when in the paddock. very easy to tow and i am no longer tearing up the interior of the car

[h018871]

from the first time i sat in a Recaro, i loved them. the $$$$$ always put me off, but i started saving my pennies once they became available.
the install went smoothly and they look & feel great

they change the entire feel of the car. i get more/clearer input from the car......i was not expecting to get that. it is very similar to the increased amount of feel you get when going from a soft to stiff sidewall on a set of tires. this should minimize the amount of effort i expend holding myself in place on the track with my legs.

i tried something different, by placing the seatbelt through the seat, rather than in the loop. the belt now sits just above my shoulder. it did not feel right on me when tucked in the loop...........it seemed too far away because of the bolster

[BurnedRubber]

Awesome build! seems like you are having a great time with the car.